Just An Experiment
by Kate Lotus
Summary: “Take off your clothes.” I stared at him. “What?” “You heard me. Just do it.” “What? I am a woman.” “It doesn’t matter. You’re just an experiment to anyone else. Besides, no one would take interest in you.” That’s right. I’m just…an experiment.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't written anything in a while! My life has been pretty stressful lately ^^;. I swear I'm not dead, and I will get to updating your favorites soon, but I had this idea a long time ago and it just resurfaced and I want to write it before I forget it again. So, thank you guys, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Summary – "Take off your clothes." I stared at him. "What?" "You heard me. Just do it." "What!? I am a **_**woman**_**." "It doesn't matter. You're just an experiment to anyone else. Besides, no one would take interest in you." That's right. I'm just…an experiment. GAAHINA! (M for sugjestive themes in places. You will be warned!)**

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**HPOV **

I sat on the cold hospital style cot. I'd lost count on how long I've been here. Since my parents sold me to this…place. Most of my memories were here. I've been tested on in this laboratory, I guess I could call it, for years. The last thing I remember from the outside world…was painful for me to remember. Not only my parents betrayed me, but…also the one I love. I thought he would help me but…I was wrong. Absolutely and terrifyingly wrong.

_Flashback_

"_Mom…no!" I screamed. "Why are you doing this? Is it because I'm not a good daughter? Please mommy give me a second chance! Please, I'll be the best daughter you have!" My mom just laughed a cold hard laugh. She didn't care about me. She never did and never would. _

"_Don't be silly, you nuisance. All you are is a burden. I'll never love you. Ever." Tears were streaming down my face as I screamed and pulled my hair, curling into a ball on the ground. I could barely hear the doorbell through my screams. "That's them. Don't bother bringing anything. You won't need it there." She opened the door and two strange men in white lab coats walked in. I was so scared. They tried to pick me up, but I struggled and fought. They said nothing as I fell to the ground. One of them sighed and pulled out a needle from their pocket. I continued screaming, and I tried to run, but the one without the needle grabbed my arm roughly. He held it out straight while the other shoved the needle painfully into my arm. My screams became louder and I couldn't stand it. They picked me up this time, but I couldn't struggle. They carried me to a big black van. I looked desperately around for someone to save me. I see someone! I see Naruto!_

"_Naruto help me! Please, don't let them take me away! Please! I'll do anything! Anything Naruto! Please save me from them!" He looked over at me, just as they were loading me into the back of the van. He didn't move. _

"_No." Was all he said as they slammed the doors shut and drove away._

_End Flashback_

I used to cry over that memory, but too many tears had been wasted. I wasn't going to waste anymore. I'd been dropped off in this dank, dark room and been told to wait. We were given old white gowns to wear, us girls that is. I had bandages around my right upper arm and fore arm; bandages scattered on my legs and back. Not that it was unusual. We were hooked up to this awful machine that pumped some painful substance in our body that was supposed to make us stronger everyday. They called the substance X87. The whole process made us very weak; the training, tests, and the needles. Ever since that day, I've been terrified of needles and what they hold inside of them. I brought my knees to my chest and rested my head. Why me? Is all I thought. Just then I heard the door behind me open and close. I looked behind me to see who was there. Just a random scientist. Dr…Souma it looked. I didn't care who it was. Today was very strange for me. We usually did things I'm familiar with, since I've experienced a lot, but this time I had no idea what anyone was going to do.

"Experiment 058, Hinata Hyuuga." She said, looking at the collar on my neck. "We have been watching you develop, and you seem to have more potential than all the others. True, you maybe the weakest, but we think you'll survive if you pass this test." I was scared and confused. I started shaking. "I must prepare you though. If you pass the test my colleague will be performing in the next little while, you will be subject to the next test very soon. We'll call it Test-X. In Test-X, you will be strapped down on a hospital bed and be attached in more places to receive X87, and in more dosage. They'll attach it to your legs, arms, stomach, back, and breasts. Throughout the whole test, we'll be pumping X87 into your system. After the procedure starts, we're going to look through your body to see how it's taking everything in. Do you need a minute to take this in?" I weakly nodded. I hoped I didn't pass the first test.

"How long will Test-X take?" I asked timidly.

"We're not sure, as this is the first time we're performing it. Now, how we're going to look into your body is through a small camera that we're going to put in from your…" She paused and my heart started beating faster. I was more scared, because I was pretty sure what she was about to say. "…lower area. The camera is special, so we're going to be able to see a lot of what's going on. Now if everything is okay after that, we're going to take a few samples from your body, then unhook you from the X87. If you survive Test-X…well, we're not sure what's going to happen to you afterwards, but we're discussing releasing you into the free world. You'd be restricted from a few things, and have a special ID and information. You'd also have a chip in your arm that let's us know where you are and what you're doing at all times, but free is free isn't it?" She finished. Suddenly, I wanted to pass the test. Just if it was to get out of this terrible place. I nodded; she smiled and left. Just then the door was rudely opened.

"Take your clothes off." The scientist who barged in said. I stared at him.

"What?" I asked, thinking he had walked into the wrong room.

"You heard me. Just do it."

"What!? I am a _woman_."

"It doesn't matter. You're just an experiment to anyone else. Besides, no one would take interest in you." That's right. I'm just…an experiment. I sighed. He left and I did as I was told. I pulled the gown off over my head and threw it on the floor, revealing the paleness of my body. I shivered and pulled my knees to my chest, trying to hide whatever I could. I heard a knock on the door before it opened. I was surprised. _No one _knocked. I looked behind me and instantly wished I didn't. The scientist who was to do the first test was male. And I was naked. I'm sure my face was red. He walked in front of me and smiled apologetically.

"Hey, my name is Gaara, and I'm going to perform the test on you." He paused, and his gaze softened. "I apologize for this in advance; I know this must be awkward for you, being…revealed like this." I looked away. This was just terrible. I expected the scientist who was to do the test to be a girl! I was always wrong. But at the same time, I never knew any scientist to be as polite as…Gaara.

"Why are you being so polite to me?" I burst out, instantly regretting what I said. I knew that the scientists called me the quiet one. I barely talked to anyone. Not even the other experiments. I expected Gaara to be mad. But he chuckled.

"I just…" He paused, looked down then back up at me. "Feel bad for you. All of you…if I had a choice, I'd set everyone in here free. What's happening here is stupid and useless, and you shouldn't be put through what you're being put through…it's…it's just…not human." He finished quietly. I didn't know what to say, but I found myself acting unconsciously. I brought my hand up and cupped his cheek. My eyes softened.

"Don't blame yourself for something you can't control." I said softly. His eyes showed he was clearly surprised. But then they softened, and he nodded. He sighed.

"Thank you…and as much as I regret saying this, it's time to start the first test." I pulled my hand back and nodded. I looked up at him expectantly. For some reason, I felt extremely comfortable with him, unlike the other scientists. With them, I was always sure something terrible was going to happen. I blinked a few times.

"Um…" I said quietly, as he was putting on a pair of rubber gloves. "Can I tell you something?" He smiled and continued putting his gloves on.

"Yes, of course."

"Um…" I paused again. "I'm scared…I'm so scared." I said, my voice breaking. I knew tears were cascading down my cheeks as I told him. I buried my head in my knees and cried. Saying I was scared was an understatement. I was absolutely terrified. Test-X was going to be absolute torture, but if it meant I was going to be free…I just didn't know. I suppose that if Test-X was the only way to my freedom…then I would have to endure it…but…it was going to be so hard. I felt a pair of warm arms wrap around my shoulders. I was shocked, but extremely comforted at the same time. At least I'd have someone there for me, even if he was taking pity on me, I didn't care. For the first time in such a long time, I had someone there for me, and I liked it.

"It's okay…it's okay…listen…I'm going to be watching over you for the next week or two. After this test, you'll be moved into a special area of the lab. You'll have a room all to yourself, right next to where mine is. There'll be a few cameras so we can monitor you. You really do have a lot of potential. More than anyone we've seen. But I'll do my best to make sure you're always safe…that's the least I can do." He said, close to my ear. I nodded and he pulled away. He sighed, and just looked at me. "Are you ready?" I meekly nodded and he got started with the procedure.

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"There. All done." Gaara said, taking off his gloves. I was shaking. I did _not_ like the test at all, even if it was Gaara performing it. He bent down and picked up my discarded gown off the floor. "Here, go on ahead and put this back on. I'm so sorry…" I took it with a shaky hand and tried to put it over my head. Every time I did, though, it fell. No, no, no! Why couldn't I do anything right? I picked it up and tried again. I dropped it. I whined; a weak sound. Gaara looked over at me sadly. He picked it up and helped me put it on.

"Th-thank y-y-you." I stuttered. He just smiled sadly.

"Let's get you to your room, okay?" I just nodded. I tried to get off the bed, but I stumbled, and fell to my knees. Before I knew it, I felt Gaara's arms under my knees and shoulders, carrying me bridal style.

"Wha-?" I said. He just shook his head.

"If you can't walk then it's no big deal if I carry you. Either way, we'll get to where we're going." He stopped talking but he bit his lip, seeming like he wanted to say more. He looked down and sighed at me expectant eyes. "I just don't like how weak you are." He said finally, looking away. I said nothing but looked down. I didn't like it either.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

"Here is your room." Gaara said, gently placing me on my feet. "Can you walk?"

"I-I think so." I said, taking a shaky step forward, then another. I turned around and smiled after a few steps. "Look, I can do it!" I said excitedly. He just chuckled, and beckoned me over to him. I took a few more unsteady steps toward him. On the last step, I fell. I knew I was going to hit the ground, but when I expected impact, there was none. That's when I realized Gaara's arms around me.

"You really are clumsy, aren't you?" He said kindly. I nodded and he chuckled again. He ruffled my hair and smiled. "Get some sleep. You deserve it." He said.

"Thank you." I said earnestly. He released me and I walked over to the bed in the corner. I made myself comfortable and looked over to Gaara who stood in the doorway, his hand on the light switch. "Goodnight Gaara." I said. He said nothing for a moment.

"Goodnight…Hinata." And with that, he clicked the lights off and slowly shut the door with a click.

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**A/N – I hope you guys enjoyed! I originally planned this to be a one-shot, but that idea flew out the window when I got to writing! R&R please! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hmmm, I'm a bit lost with this story. It might not be too terribly long. I'm not sure. Oh well. This should be fun. :) Hope ya'll enjoy!!**

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**HPOV**

"Hinata? Hinata, you need to get up now." I heard Gaara's kind voice. His hand cupped my cheek, and tapped me gently. "We need you to have something to eat before your day begins." I blinked a few times before finally gaining focus of Gaara's face. A small smile played on his lips as I sat up, pushing the stray strands of hair out of my face. "How are you feeling this morning?" He asked. I looked over my arms and legs, frowning just a bit. I had more bruises and bandages than usual, and every time I moved, an unfamiliar aching resonated in my bones. Nonetheless, I looked to him and smiled.

"Just fine, thank you for asking." I said in my small little voice. He smiled a bit more.

"That's good. Now follow me, if you please." He started walking slowly toward the door. I pushed back the covers and placed my feet on the cold floor. I picked myself off of the bed and followed unsteadily in his footsteps. I glanced up at him, to see the worry in his eyes. I just smiled.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." He looked unsure, and waited for me to catch up with him. We walked in silence for the majority of the way there. I looked up, and asked, "Where are we going?" I blinked innocently a few times as he just gazed down at me.

"Just to the break room for you to get something for you to eat. I know you don't get much decent food, so this should be a treat." He said, smiling and ruffling my hair. I blushed and just looked at him. The corner of his mouth ticked up as we walked through the door. The room was small, but not uncomfortable. Homey, if I had to choose a word. I paused in the middle of the room. Gaara looked at me questioningly.

"It's been a long time since I've been in a kitchen. It makes me wonder what I would be doing right now, if mom hadn't sold me to this place. Kind of sad, isn't it?" I said, looking up at him with a pathetic look on my face. He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it, walking over towards me. He carefully hugged me to him, pressing my face to his chest.

"I'm sorry…" Was all he could say. I didn't realize I was crying until I was sobbing, the both of us falling toward the ground. Why was I crying now? It's not like it'd help anything, but I couldn't stop. He quietly stayed with me as my sobs calmed. I sniffled a few times and looked up at him. "You okay now?" I nodded, and helped me up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break down…" He just waved me off.

"Don't ever be sorry." He said kindly. I just looked at him, wondering how he could understand so perfectly. I managed a small smile. "So, anything you want for breakfast?" I just shrugged, not knowing what was good or not. I walked towards him, looking under his arms into the cabinet where the food was held. I picked up a yellow box, looking at it unsurely.

"What is this?" I asked, looking up at him. He chuckled, taking the box from my hands.

"These are waffles." He took one out of the box and put it in the toaster, turning the dial at the bottom so it would cook. "Now we wait." I just blinked a few times. Was that really all? I wonder what it tasted like, never knowing. I looked up to Gaara watching me amusedly. I pouted.

"Hey now, what's so funny?" I asked. He just chuckled more.

"You are. You're just so innocent, it's a little amusing sometimes. Nothing to be upset about." He said, standing up and ruffling my hair as the toaster popped out my waffle.

"Whoa! That's cool! Does it do that with everything?" I asked him, as he brought it out and I began to eat.

"Yes, it does. You can put other things in there, like bagels and pop tarts, you know, the fun stuff." He said smiling as I bit into the waffle. I gasped. It's sweet! And it tastes good! I looked at Gaara excitedly.

"It's good!" I exclaimed as he broke into side splitting laughter. I, again, pouted. He shook his head and smiled kindly at me as I continued to eat my waffle.

"I'm glad to see you happy like this. It really makes me hope that soon you'll be free from all of this." He said in more of a quiet voice. I stopped eating and just looked up at him for a few silent moments. Did he actually care? He wasn't lying? I looked down and nodded.

"Me too." Was all I could say. I wasn't quite sure how it was I could be happy, knowing all that has happened in my past. Can't change human nature, I suppose. There is good in everyone, I believe, but sometimes it's just hard to find. And in others…not so hard. I looked at Gaara, studying his face and eyes deeply. He opened his mouth to speak, just as something started ringing. He sighed, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a cell phone, answering it unhappily.

"Hello?...yes we're finishing up…fine, be there in a few minutes." He looked over to me with a sad expression. I quickly finished eating. I knew we had somewhere to be, and I didn't want Gaara getting in trouble for my blunders.

"All done!" I said cheerily! His frown grew to a small smile, which I was glad for. We put everything away, and left the room. The pain that had moved its way into the back of my mind, forgotten, now was remembered, as it was painful to walk. I tried not to wince with every step. But it became harder and harder the farther we walked. Gaara occasionally looked back, making sure I was alright. I put on a strong smile and convinced him nothing was wrong. Only if I could convince myself.

We walked farther into a part of the laboratory I have never been before. Completely new. What was this place? Why haven't I seen before? I looked up to Gaara questioningly but he just shook his head. I tried to disregard it, but it kept poking from the back of my mind. I'd be sure to ask him about it later. We stopped in front of a set of red double doors. Gaara turned and looked at me seriously.

"I need you to listen carefully." He began. "You need to do exactly as I tell you when we get in here. Act with me as you do with everyone else. You're not supposed to be friendly with me, and if they find out are, they'll assign someone else to you. Alright?" I nodded slowly, and he opened the doors. I walked timidly behind him. There was a single chair in the middle of the room. He stopped by the chair and motioned for me to sit down. I did. I looked to see people I've never seen before scattered perfectly across the back of the room. One stood out. Long, black hair, unnaturally pale, and for some reason, he reminded me of a snake. He stepped forward, a creepy smile plastered on his face.

"So, let's review you're test results, shall we?"

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**Sorry for the cliffy!!! Hope you enjoyed. R & R and I'm going to be writing more soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I've been trying to update all of my stories for a Christmas present to everyone, so I hope you enjoy! Happy Holidays!**

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From the previous chapter –

"_I need you to listen carefully." He began. "You need to do exactly as I tell you when we get in here. Act with me as you do with everyone else. You're not supposed to be friendly with me, and if they find out are, they'll assign someone else to you. Alright?" I nodded slowly, and he opened the doors. I walked timidly behind him. There was a single chair in the middle of the room. He stopped by the chair and motioned for me to sit down. I did. I looked to see people I've never seen before scattered perfectly across the back of the room. One stood out. Long, black hair, unnaturally pale, and for some reason, he reminded me of a snake. He stepped forward, a creepy smile plastered on his face._

"_So, let's review you're test results, shall we?"_

He walked closer to me, examining me carefully and opening the file he had in his hand.

"Hinata Hyuuga. Been here for eleven years, since she was six. Shown the most potential out of the hundreds here." I shuddered. I didn't know there were _hundreds_ of people like me here. I gripped the armrests of the chairs. "And according to the test results that Dr. Gaara performed, you are strong enough to withstand Test-X. Gaara will prepare you today and tomorrow. Then you'll be subjected to the test. I'll see you in a few days. Dismissed!" I stood up, and tried not to shake. Gaara was quiet until we reached the room where I was being kept.

"Dr. Orochimaru thinks there's a lot more to discuss than there actually is. I'll tell you everything tomorrow, alright?" I just nodded, still trying to not make it obvious I was terrified. Wait…it was just Gaara and I, correct? I could show him, right?

"I'm s-so te-terrified…" I only managed to say that before tears came pouring out of my eyes and down my face. I brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I felt Gaara's arms around mine, and we just stayed like that for a few moments.

"I'm sorry…" It seemed as if he genuinely cared. Maybe it was too good to be true. "I wish this never happened to you." I looked up at him for a few seconds, as he wiped my tears. What about me did he care about? Maybe I was just the first to ever be considered for Text-X? Could that be all? Did he even care…? His eyebrows furrowed, as if he was confused.

"Why do you care about me?" It came out not as a whisper, but just a small voice. He blinked a few times. The silence scared me, just as it always did. "I mean, I'm nothing special. Just a girl not good enough for her own family. I'm not pretty or anything. I'm weak and timid. There's nothing good about me, so why?" I said, my voice shaking more with every word I said.

"Because…you still act human. I want you to stay who you are, and not let anyone or anything get to you. Because I like you for whom you are." I just looked at him for a few moments before breaking down again. Weird how I could be so comfortable around him. I knew it probably wasn't real, but for some reason, I couldn't stop myself. Why was I so attracted to him? I suppose it didn't matter at the moment. I need him. And that's all there is to it.

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"What was that I just ate?" I asked Gaara as he took away our plates and put them in the sink. It was delicious! I hope I can have more of that soon…He chuckled.

"It's ramen. We always buy it and no one ever eats it. For some reason I thought you might like it. Did you?" I nodded excitedly. He laughed again. I was getting use to him laughing at me. It wasn't mean, so it didn't bother me.

"It was very good! Am I going to be able to eat like this more often now?" I asked. He looked at me sadly for a minute. Then smiled and nodded, though I could read the sadness that still lingered in his eyes. I smiled. "Will I be able to eat with you more often as well?" He laughed and walked over to me, messing up my hair.

"If you want." I giggled. Gaara checked his watch and frowned. "It's time for you to go back to your room. You ready to go?" I nodded, and we walked back to my room, idle chitchatting along the way. He stopped in the doorway as we made it to my room. I turned around and looked at him, confused.

"Gaara?"

"I'm going to take you into the real world in a few days." He said, determined.

"Why?"

"Because…soon it's your birthday."


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything in so long. My computer crashed, and it's not been pretty…): But I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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"My…birthday?" I asked, the word unfamiliar in my mouth. I looked at him confused. What was a birthday? He nodded.

"Do you remember? Your birthday is the day you were born, a day for celebrating that you were brought into this world. It's only once a year, and this year you'll be eighteen, a legal adult." He said as we walked into my room. I've never heard of a birthday. Mom never cared about me, and probably didn't want me in this world to begin with so why would she celebrate me coming into this world? I looked at him as he sat in a chair beside my bed.

"I've never had a birthday. No one has ever celebrated my birth." I said honestly. "The idea seems ludicrous. I mean…" I paused, looking down and playing with my fingers. "…why would anyone want to celebrate me? I'm an experiment, and nothing else. That's the cold hard truth of the matter, right? I've known and accepted that for as long as I can remember. I'm worthless." When I finally looked up, Gaara's face was twisted into something unrecognizable. Anger and hurt spread across his usually gentle features. "…Gaara? What's wrong?" I placed my hands over his, which were balled up in tight fists.

"Hinata…" He said gently; rage could be detected under his well controlled façade. "Just remember this." Looking me deep in the eyes, his hands intertwined themselves with mine. "You have never been, nor will you ever be, just an experiment." His eyes slowly slid shut as he pressed his soft lips on mine. My heart began to pound harder than usual and a blush arose on my cheeks. Before I had a chance to react, he pulled away, and walked out of the room.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Hinata. You need to wake up. _Now._" Gaara's voice was urgent. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. The lights were too bright and I was very confused as to what was happened. Once I recalled last night's events, my face flared. "Listen," His tone was hushed. "Someone saw…what happened last night. And that's beyond bad. We need to make up and excuse or something…" His eyebrows furrowed and I finally gained my bearings. I looked up at him, a sad smile on my face.

"You could smack me around a bit, and curse at me, saying hurtful things. I don't mind." I said quickly when he made a move to protest. "Please. Do it for me. I don't want another doctor to be assigned to me. Okay?" He bit his lip, but nodded. I got up and winced. Still painful from the other day. Damn. I can deal with it. I'm a big girl. We walked out of the room and as we drew near to the exam room, I could see Gaara's shoulders and back tense. "Just do it." I hissed right before the door opened. I stumbled into the room, and fell roughly on the hard floor.

"You useless piece of shit! What the hell is wrong with you? Everyone says you have the most potential but God, you could've fooled me!" Gaara shouted. I glanced around the room to see most of the doctors and experiments looking our way. Good. Keep it up, Gaara. "I mean, anyone can see how weak you are." He continued on, gulping at I suppose the next thing he was going to say. "I don't care about you, so don't come crying to me for sympathy! I had to wash my mouth of from that dirty trick you pulled! Who do you think you are? You are _just an experiment_." I had to cry or this wouldn't be believable. So I let the tears pour. He yanked me up with so much raw power and strength I thought my arm was going to come off.

"I know…I know…!" I cried, being dragged to one of the examination tables. I was roughly shoved onto a table in the far back of the room, mostly private. Okay, very private. He sat me onto the table and slammed the door shut, pausing for the silence to come. After a few moments he took a deep breath, and sighed, walking back over to me. He placed his hand gently on my cheek and examined me for a moment.

"Are you alright?" He said quietly. I nodded.

"I promise you, I'm perfectly fine." I smiled, despite the ache all over my body. But he didn't need to know. After all the trouble he's gone through for me…I still don't understand how I'm worth it. Nonetheless, I giggled at him. "You worrying so much is actually kind of cute." He looked stunned. And that's when I broke out in laughter. After a while, he had a soft, kind look on his face.

"This is the first time I've heard you laugh. Ever." He smiled as I blushed. His hand brushed back some hair from my face, and kissed me gently once again. My breath hitched in my throat and my heart beat wildly in my chest. What in the world was this feeling? I reluctantly pulled away to see a confused look on Gaara's beautiful face. I gave him a small smile in return.

"I don't remember what it felt like to laugh." I said sincerely. He took me up in his arms.

"Oh? Well, how about this?" He said. His arms moved to my sides and started tickling me. I started to squirm and laugh. I guess I was very ticklish, because he would just not stop! He had me laughing and squeaking until I could barely take it anymore.

"Okay, okay! I give up!" I laughed, a few tears escaping my eyes. I coughed a little bit. Then a little more.

"Are you okay? Do you need any water?" He asked, concerned.

"No, I think I'll be fi-" I didn't get to finished. The coughing became more violent, and I could taste the blood in my mouth.

Maybe I wasn't so fine after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**I've been saying this forever, but here it finally is: the next chapter of Just an Experiment! I hope you guys enjoy. 3**

* * *

I gasped for air through coughing fits, trying to get some oxygen into my system. It felt like I was dying. The coughing just wouldn't _stop._ Neither would the blood. I looked up towards Gaara feebly before collapsing onto the provided hospital cot. I could see the worry on his face, and it pained me. I didn't want him to worry on my cause. I was going to be all right…

Wasn't I?

"Gaara…" I managed to struggle out his name. I saw his face set into determination, and he started frantically rushing about the room, as if looking for something. I lay gasping for air on the cot. For the moment, the fits had finally stopped. Glancing down, I could see that blood had stained the front of my gown. Great.

Gaara finally returned with a large needle and an apologetic expression on his face. I could tell this wasn't going to be pleasant.

"This should make everything stop; the rapid heart rate, coughing fits, and inaccessibility of air to your lungs. It's going to be painful, but it'll help you. I don't know why I didn't think of this before…" He began muttering darkly to himself before regaining composure and looking at me once again. "Are you ready?"

All I could do was nod at this point, for the fits had begun again. I could feel myself getting dizzy from blood loss. Gaara's hand took my arm and flipped it over, pinning it onto the cot. I heard his deep intake of breath as he plunged the needle into my forearm. It took all I had to stop from crying out. But it was over before I knew it, and the coughing had stopped. It took a while for my breathing to calm down, but, eventually, it did.

A sigh of relief escaped Gaara's lips.

"Thank goodness…" He whispered as he fell into a chair behind him. I struggled to sit up and look at him.

"Thank _you_ for saving me." I said, and listened in hopelessness as my voice shook near uncontrollably. I didn't possibly understand how I was the one with the most potential.

"It's nothing." He said, standing up, and offering me a hand. "Let's get you back to your room."

* * *

"I think you should get some sleep. Text-X is tomorrow and after that, we're leaving this place." Gaara said unabashedly. I just laid in bed and closed my eyes. Test-X was to be hell. I didn't know how anyone expected me to withstand it. I felt Gaara's lips gentle on mine, and I smiled, opening my eyes to look at him before I drifted off to sleep-land.

"You really mean it? Do you think we can really do this? Do you think _I _can really do this?" I asked him, looking at him questioningly. He just smiled in reassurance, and kissed me once more.

"I'm positive."

Just then, his phone started ringing its high-pitched tone. He groaned, but stood up straight from leaning over my bed, and answered the phone.

"Dr. Gaara speaking." His voice was so official; it was almost weird seeing him change personalities in just a snap like that. He listened for a few moments, and looked like he was suppressing a sigh. "All right, I'll be right there." He said, closing his phone shut. "I'm wanted in the main lab, so I have to go. I'm sorry." I just shook my head.

"Go. Do what you need to do." He smiled at me, and kissed me once more, before leaving the room.

I watched him go before falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

I was awoken roughly by someone shaking my shoulder. I let out a groggy, "Whaa?" Before turning to realize, it was Gaara, who had a troubled expression displayed on his face. "Gaara. What's wrong?" I asked, slipping out of my stupor.

"They want to perform Test-X now; they've figured you and I've spent enough time together you should be well prepared by now." He just looked at me. "I just hope they're right."

"I trust you." I said timidly. "So don't worry." He just looked at me, glancing eye to eye, and sighed. Placing a small kiss on my lips, he stood up.

"Well, I guess there's no use in trying to waste time. The quicker this test is completed, the quicker you can leave. Are you ready?" He said, offering me a hand.

All I could do was nod. I'm ready as I'll ever be. And with Gaara with me, I'm sure I could withstand anything. Even this.

"Yeah. I'm ready." I said, getting up from the bed, and taking his hand.

And off we went.


End file.
